Some hearing loss comes with age and genetics, and no habit can fully prevent that. But the noise-related portion, a huge share of all hearing loss, is largely preventable with three unglamorous, highly effective habits.
Step 1: Turn it down
The simplest protection is free. Damage begins around 85 decibels with sustained exposure, and every few decibels louder cuts your safe time dramatically.
- Keep headphones around 60% volume, with breaks (the "60/60 rule")
- Set the car stereo and TV to the lowest comfortable level
- Position yourself away from speakers at events
- Use your phone's volume limiter and loud-environment warnings, a free sound-meter app is eye-opening at the fairgrounds or the racetrack
Step 2: Block what you can't turn down
Mowers, chainsaws, power tools, gunfire, concerts, tractors, rural Pennsylvania life is louder than people think. For anything you can't quiet, put something between the noise and your ears:
- Foam earplugs cut roughly 20–30 dB when inserted properly, keep pairs in the truck, the shop and your jacket
- Earmuffs are better for intermittent loud work because they're easy on and off
- Custom hearing protection fits your exact ear, stays comfortable for hours, and comes in versions made for hunting, music, motorsports and industrial work
Step 3: Test on a schedule
You can't feel hearing damage happening, thresholds shift silently over years. Regular hearing tests create a baseline and catch changes early, when protection habits can still preserve what you have. If loss has already started, early treatment keeps your brain's listening skills sharp.
Three steps, none of them complicated: turn it down, block the rest, and measure regularly. Your future self, still catching every word at the dinner table, will be glad you started now. Schedule a baseline test at any of our offices.